


Anomalous

by byitisee, StilinskiDreams



Series: Connor Angst [3]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: And I love these characters, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-typical swearing, Connor (Detroit: Become Human) Whump, Connor Deserves Happiness, Connor can feel pain, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Hurt Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Hurt/Comfort, I wrote this with my sister byitisee, Pre-Deviant Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Protective Hank Anderson, Self-indulgent Connor whump, Worried Hank Anderson, Wounded Connor, go check her out, hurt Connor, i love this game, injured Connor, mostly canon-compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2018-07-18
Packaged: 2019-06-12 14:18:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15341658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byitisee/pseuds/byitisee, https://archiveofourown.org/users/StilinskiDreams/pseuds/StilinskiDreams
Summary: Hey y'all! I haven't posted in a million years and I apologize, but I've recently been inspired. My cousin (Cinnimania) got me into the game DBH, and now I can't stop thinking about it. I'm obsessed with Connor, as is everyone, and I love writing about him. I started this fic, and then my sister (byitisee) came on board to write it with me. This is our second Detroit co-write and I hope we'll have more. This is basically a Connor whump one-shot that I started randomly with no planning. I hope you like how it turned out! Please let me know what you think, and I hope to be writing more soon :DThank you!





	Anomalous

The deviant had been angry. The fury in his eyes had been so passionate… so human. Connor had tried the gentle approach. He’d wanted to appeal to its sense of reason. He’d done everything he could to make the deviant believe that he wanted to help him, so much so that Connor had started to believe it himself. The mission was the priority, of course. But, logically, gaining the other android’s trust would have helped him learn more. Therefore, it was reasonable that he had tried to help the deviant. For the sake of the mission.

“C’mon, Let’s get out of here.”

Hank’s voice shook him out of his thoughts, and he had difficulty focusing his eyes on the man. Maybe he’d hit his head harder than he thought… the deviant certainly hadn’t held back. Connor had thought the deviant was going to kill him until Hank burst in and put a bullet through its head. Connor had felt a dull ache in his chest as the deviant… died. It wasn’t sadness, of course... Why would he be sad for a machine? It was only regret for the failure of the mission. The mission was the priority. Of course.

“Connor? You ok?”

Hank was much too close all of a sudden. How had he moved that fast? His average walking speed was only 1.36 meters per second. Connor would have noticed if he ran.

“Kid, talk to me.”

Connor opened his mouth, intending to reassure Hank that there was nothing to be concerned about, but he found himself unable to speak. He felt dizzy. No, he didn’t _feel_ dizzy… his biocomponents were simply replicating a sensation similar to human dizziness. It was distracting.

_[Stress Levels: 66%]_

_[Severe Damage To Gyroscope: Contact Cyberlife for Assistance]_

Severe damage? He hadn’t been hurt that badly... had he? He yelped involuntarily when he felt a sharp slap on the cheek. 

“Connor! Wake up.”

Connor opened his eyes. Had his eyes been closed? He looked at the blurry form of Hank kneeling in front of him. His head was pounding with what could only be described as pain. It was… unpleasant. He forced himself to speak.

“Sorry… Lieutenant…”

“Don’t fucking apologize. You’re hurt. Just tell me what happened.”

“I am fine, Lieutenant, I assure…”

Hank cut him off. “Bullshit. What the fuck happened?” He was angry, although the anger did not seem to be directed at Connor. Connor swallowed the nausea burning up in his stomach and forced out a reply.

“The deviant attacked me. My gyroscope is damaged…” Connor intentionally neglected to describe the severity of said damage.

“Gyroscope?”

“It could be compared to a concussion or similar head injury in humans.”

“Fuck. How bad is it? What do I do?” Hank’s anger seemed to have been replaced with worry.

“It’s…” Connor considered lying, but everything _hurt_ and that scared him. “It’s bad… I need help…”

Hank paled. “Should I call Cyberlife? Can they fix you?” Connor tensed as dread filled his stomach.

_[Stress Levels: 71%]_

“No, no… please, Hank, don’t…”

Hank glanced worriedly at Connor’s bright red LED. “Ok, kid. I won’t. I promise. What do I do?”

“Cyberlife… will.. if they know I am experiencing pain, they will…” Connor trailed off.

Hank’s expression softened. “I thought you couldn’t feel pain?”

“I have not experienced pain until now.” Connor didn’t plan his next words. “Hank, I’m scared… I don’t want to die.”

Hank’s eyes widened at the confession, and he gripped Connor’s hand without thinking. “You’re not going to die, son. There’s gotta be something we can do.” He tried to keep the stress out of his voice.

“I could find a replacement gyroscope in a junkyard…?” Connor offered with a strained whisper.

“Aren’t you a special, fancy-ass model?”

“I am a superior model, yes, but a replacement part could work temporarily while I fix my own gyroscope.” Connor looked as if he were trying to convince himself as much as Hank that it was a good idea.

“How temporarily?”

Connor hesitated. “It would depend on the quality of the biocomponent.”

“Where’s the nearest junkyard?” Hank asked, concern now clear in his tone. “And… How long can you last without the temporary replacement?”

“There’s a junkyard about 15 minutes west of here. 11 minutes if you exceed the speed limit by your usual margin. 

“I’m a cop.”

“I am aware, Lieutenant.”

“And my other question?”

Connor paused. “I… I don’t know, Hank. My self-diagnostic software is offline.”

Hank’s heart ached at the fear in Connor’s voice. “Shit. Can you stand?”

“My legs appear fully-functional.”

“I meant your dizziness.”

Connor wondered how Hank knew he was dizzy, but he decided to leave it alone. “My latest diagnostic indicated my equilibrium reliability to be at 48%.”

“When was that?”

Connor hesitated. “After the deviant attacked, but before I hit my head...” He trailed off.

“And after you hit your head?”

“I… I don’t know, Lieutenant. I believe that I blacked out. The hit was… substantial.”

“Jesus, Connor! And you’re still awake?”

Barely, Connor thought. “Yes, just… Unstable.” Connor tried to stand, but immediately began to sway.

_[Stress Levels: 79%]_

Hank reached out his hands to steady him. “Fuck. Shit, ok. Stay with me, Connor.”

“I’m... trying…” Connor’s eyes were beginning to droop closed. His LED was flickering dangerously.

‘Dammit, kid, hang on. We just need to make it to the car, ok? Then you can rest.”  

“No… Keep me awake. If I…” Connor paused. “Don’t let me...” Connor brought his hands to his head when a particularly bad wave of dizziness hit him, trying to keep himself balanced against Hank.

Hank noticed that Connor had begun to tremble. “Ok, ok. Then… tell me about the case we’re working on right now.”

“Lieutenant, I’ve relayed all of the details of which I am aware…”

“Tell me again. Describe everything.”

Connor looked perplexed for a moment, but complied. “The precinct received a call regarding a deviant attack at precisely 12:04 p.m. yesterday afternoon.” He stumbled slightly.

Hank struggled to keep him upright under the added weight. “Woah, woah… you’re gonna be fine, son. Stay with me now.” Hank felt panic bubble up in his chest when Connor didn’t respond. “Then what happened?”

Connor blinked sluggishly, trying to put the pieces back in order. “We… We drove to the crime scene. No, we looked over the report, then we…” Connor’s breath quickened. “I can’t… Hank…”

Hank could see the bright red LED cycling rapidly. “It’s ok, you don’t have to remember. Just tell me about something else. Something that makes you happy." 

“Happy?”

“Yeah, like, I dunno... Something that makes you… feel good.”

“Like Sumo?”

Hank smiled despite everything. “Yeah, like Sumo.”

“I like dogs. I especially like Sumo. Do you think he likes me?”

Hank’s heart broke. “Yeah, kid, Sumo loves you. Anyone who gives the big oaf attention, really…”

“You feed him too much. You should limit his caloric intake by 43%.”

Hank laughed as they approached the car.

_[Stress Levels: 68%]_

“Alright, here we go.” Hank helped maneuver him into the car as gently as possible, but Connor still winced and stifled a groan. “Sorry, sorry… I got ya.”

“It’s ok…” Connor fought against the ever-increasing weight of his eyelids, trying desperately to stay conscious. For Hank. He dimly registered the blaring of sirens, realizing they should sound much louder. He thought he heard talking too, but he couldn’t be sure. He was just so tired...

“Hey! No sleeping, remember?” Hank’s voice was way too loud all of a sudden.

“S’ry... H-Hank...” His simulated breathing was quickening again.

Hank winced at the slur in Connor’s speech. “Just focus on my voice, ok?”

“Got it.” Connor smiled tiredly.

A few minutes passed before Hank said, “Ok, kid, I think we’re here.”

Connor blinked. “Already? How fast were you going?"

“Don’t worry about it.” Hank jumped out of the car and opened the passenger side door, hesitant to move Connor. “Should I find it and come back?”

“Do you know what you’re looking for?” Hank could swear there was a glint of humor in Connor’s eyes.

“Fair point.” Hank reached for Connor’s shoulder, but the android winced in anticipation of the coming pain. “You good, kid?”

Connor nodded miserably, steeling himself.

Hank sighed anxiously and settled a hand on Connor’s back. Connor didn’t tell Hank that error warnings were littering his vision so much that he could barely see. He leaned into Hank and allowed himself to be lead forward. The moment his feet hit the ground, he gasped in pain as his injury was jostled.

_[Stress Levels: 83%]_

“You’re ok, son… you’re ok…”

Connor tried desperately to keep his eyes open, but he couldn’t. He was in too much pain to function. He wished he could apologize to Hank, but his voice synthesizer wouldn’t cooperate with him. His knees buckled as his eyes rolled back in his head, and he distantly felt his head falling against Hank’s chest.

“Connor? Connor?! Fuck, fuck, fuck! Don’t do this to me, kid-” Connor’s body went completely slack, pulling Hank with him to the ground. The impact seemed to jolt Connor awake with an agonized whimper.

“Hank?”

“I’m here, kid. You have to help me find your… shit, what was it again?”

“Gyroscope,” Connor wheezed.

“You have to help me find it, ok?” He paused, waiting for a response. “Now.”

Connor looked up dazedly and nodded. “Do you think you could help me up?”

Hank laughed, surprised. “Yes, since you asked so politely. Come on.” He grabbed Connor’s arms and slowly pulled him up. Connor remained stubbornly quiet, but his eyelids were fluttering wildly.

_[Stress Levels: 86%]_

“H-Hank?” Connor pleaded.

“Yeah, kid, I gotcha.” Hank kept his hand firmly on Connor’s arm, doubtful that Connor could remain upright on his own. They moved slowly around the android graveyard. Connor kept his eyes to the ground, searching for a viable gyroscope. Hank, however, focused on Connor’s increasingly dim LED.

One particularly gruesome android corpse caught Connor’s attention. Its head was barely attached to its neck--held on by only one or two wires. Hank wouldn’t be able to see it anymore, but it was almost entirely covered in its own thirium. Connor shuddered.

_[Stress Levels: 91%]_

Hank followed Connor’s gaze and subtly pointed him in the other direction, noticing that the android looked somehow paler.

“This one appears to have a satisfactory replacement,” Connor said, pointing to a mostly-intact AP700. Even that small action made him more lightheaded. He cautiously reached to the side of its--her head, swallowing convulsively as he twisted the biocomponent from its compartment.

Hank flinched. “So… How long do you have to switch them out?”

“No more than 10.26 seconds.”

“Shit. You, uh, need a hand or anything?”

Connor smiled softly. “If you could hold me upright-” As if on cue, Connor staggered dangerously towards a ragged spike of metal jutting up from the ground.

“Jesus, kid!” Hank caught him immediately, as if on instinct. “You good?"

Connor stood very still, trying to get his bearings. He was terrified.

_[Stress Levels: 95%]_

“Connor?”

He took a stabilizing breath, nodding shakily. “There’s no time. I have to do this _now_.”

Before Hank could say anything else, Connor ripped out his own gyroscope with a single, agonized sob. He faltered, in so much shock from the pain that he couldn’t move. He felt himself shaking, felt the blue blood draining from his temple.

“Connor. Connor! God dammit!” Hank desperately ripped the functional gyroscope from Connor’s hand and twisted it into the android’s open wound.

Connor blinked, slowly, and reached up to make sure it was firmly in place. He winced. “T-Thank you, Hank.”

_[Stress Levels: 92%]_

“Fuck, ok, how long do you have to fix the old one?”

_[Warning: Incompatible Gyroscope Detected]_

_[Contact Cyberlife Immediately]_

_[Emergency Shutdown Will Engage in 06.783 minutes]_

Trying to reign in his suddenly ragged breathing, Connor managed, “7… Almost 7 minutes.” He glanced down at his shaking hands.

“Fuck, fuck… how do you fix the old one?”

Connor stared at the android he had taken the part from. Had it- she experienced pain? The gyroscope felt foreign in his head, a constant reminder that it shouldn’t be there.

_[Stress Levels: 98%]_

“CONNOR!"

Connor flinched at Hank’s booming voice, but refocused. He pulled his Cyberlife-issued multitool from his pocket and willed his hands to stop shaking.

Hank watched anxiously, feeling as helpless as he had outside Cole’s hospital room.

After 05.248 minutes, Connor took a deep breath, pulled out the temporary part, and steadied himself for a moment before returning his own gyroscope to his temple. He blinked sluggishly.

_[Stress Levels: 84%]_

“...nor? Connor, come on.”

Connor felt his optical units focus on Hank. “m’ok… reboot… starting...”

“What? Hey, kid-”

Connor barely registered the far-away sound of Hank shouting his name.

 

_[Emergency Reboot Initializing]_

_[Emergency Reboot Engaged, 32% Complete]_

_[Emergency Reboot Successful]_

_[Diagnostic Successful]_

_[Thirium Levels Low: Contact Cyberlife for Assistance]_

_[Stress Levels: 74%]_

_[Non-Fatal Damage to-]_

Connor stopped processing the updates when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Connor?”

Connor blinked his eyes open wearily. He barely processed the relief on Hank’s face before his view was obstructed and he felt something wet on his face. Sumo would not stop licking him until Hank physically pulled him away, laughing.

_[Stress Levels: 53%]_

Connor smiled, but found himself unable to speak. He was exhausted, and his systems were still trying to recover from the trauma.

Hank’s smile faltered after the silence lasted a beat too long. “Hey, kid, you doing ok?”

Connor nodded, suddenly noticing several bags of thirium on the coffee table. He looked at Hank inquisitively.

“Oh, I uh… It seemed like you lost a lot of blood. I dunno shit about androids, but I figured you’d need more…”

Connor blinked at him questioningly.

“Oh, I got ‘em at the station. We have a stash for the few androids we had before you."

_[Stress Levels: 34%]_

Connor smiled up at him. “Thank you.”

Hank winced at the painful-sounding break in Connor’s voice. “Take it easy, kid. You don’t have to talk yet.”

Connor looked from Hank to the thirium and back before cautiously pulling the lieutenant into a hug.

Hank froze for a brief second before returning the embrace. “I’m glad you’re ok, son.” He frowned when he noticed that Connor’s LED still hadn’t returned to its usual blue.

“Hank…”

Hank felt his heartbeat quicken at the nerves in Connor’s voice. “What’s wrong?”

“I… I think…”

Hank froze for a second when the LED flickered red before calming back to yellow. “Yeah?”

“I think I am becoming deviant.”

Hank laughed out loud, causing Connor to jump in surprise. “Good for you, kid. Do you want some eggs?” He smiled when he saw Connor’s LED finally settle back into a calm blue.

“Androids do not-”

“Eat food. Yeah, yeah, I get it. Drink your thirium.”


End file.
